Nicholas B. Jackson

Artist: Various Artists
Album: Dimension Mix
Release: 2005.08.23
Label: Eenie Meenie Records

It took me a long time to get through this entire album, not because it was a painful or time-dragging experience, but because the opening track played on repeat for days — with the windows rolled up. “Funky Lil’ Song,” in all of its postmodern chic glory, is the definitive track on this album as well as the best Beck piece released since the singles from 2002’s Sea Change, as it reminds us of the inventive Los Angeles artist we fell in love with years ago.

There is a point at nearly three minutes into the song where Beck switches from an incredibly high voice to the opposite end of his register and it is nothing you would expect from the post-punk guru’s slender frame. This is only one example of a handful of welcome surprises scattered throughout Dimension Mix that are revealed frequently as we listen to eighteen of the past decades most creative and imaginative forces in alternative-pop (Fantastic Plastic Machine, Danielson Familie, Anubian Lights) broaden their typical sphere of work to remake the music of Bruce Haack while adding their own distinctive touch.

You may find ‘postmodern’ to be an interesting, if not inappropriate, choice to describe an album full of leading self-declared indie-artists in the business (The Apples In Stereo, Stereolab, From Bubblegum To Sky) as it brings to mind ideas of traditionalist revival. But, postmodern is a good descriptor of almost all of the tracks on Dimension Mix because they were originally written as children songs and, due to this, the playful lyrics, complete with an unnatural sense of cheerfulness, speak against modern practice and philosophy.

All of the lyrics for the modern versions of the songs found on Dimension Mix were written by Haack, one of the most pioneering composers of his time, and partner in Dimension 5, Esther Nelson, in the 1960’s and 70’s. By putting together such an impressive collective of musicians, Ross Harris, producer for this album and multi-instrumentalist member of Sukia and DJ Me DJ You, has made the new Dimension recordings appealing to all age groups but, holding true to their roots, the songs are still written for children as a significant portion of proceeds from this compilation are to be donated to Cure Autism Now, a leader in neurological research for youth.

After listening for a while and realizing that although the lyrics are playful and meant for an age group I am no longer a part of they speak to all of us, I was able to grow through Dimension Mix. As the lessons of optimism (“Everything’s up, nothing’s down”), self-belief, and enjoyment (“Shake yourself from the tip of your toes all the way up to the tip of your nose”) grew less perceptible I found that the creativity showcased through all of these tracks shone brighter than the nonsense.

Shake, I did. And the windows finally came down.

Highlights: “Funky Lil’ Song” & “Liza Jane”

• Originally published: SHEER 2005.08.24